Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa 2026: Requirements & How to Apply

Who is eligible

The visa is open to foreign nationals of any nationality who work remotely — either as an employee or as a self-employed service provider — using digital or telecommunications technology. The key condition is that your income comes entirely from employers or clients located outside Costa Rica; the permit does not authorise you to work for Costa Rican companies or in the local labour market. You can include your spouse or civil partner and dependent children in the same application, provided you meet the higher income threshold. As of 19 July 2026, official sources state these conditions under Law 10008 and its regulation.

Income requirement

As of 19 July 2026, official sources state you must show a stable monthly salary, fixed income, or an average monthly income over the previous 12 months of at least US$3,000 for a single applicant. If you apply together with dependents (a spouse, partner or children), the threshold rises to US$4,000 per month. This is proven with 12 months of bank statements, accompanied by a signed affidavit confirming the statements were obtained from your financial institution. There is no separate lump-sum savings alternative published in the regulation — the test is your demonstrated income.

Required documents

• A valid passport, plus the completed application form for the remote-worker estancia.
• Proof of income: 12 months of bank statements showing at least US$3,000/month (or US$4,000 with dependents) from foreign sources, with a signed affidavit.
• A medical insurance policy covering you — and every family member included — for the entire duration of your stay in Costa Rica.
• Proof of the US$100 government payment, and supporting documents for dependents (e.g. a marriage or civil-union certificate and birth certificates), translated into Spanish.

How to apply, step by step

1. Gather and, where required, translate your documents into Spanish, and take out medical insurance that covers the whole stay.
2. Create an account and submit the application online through Costa Rica's official immigration platform (Trámite Ya), operated by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, and pay the required fees.
3. Wait for the written decision — the Foreign Nationals Administration has a target of 15 calendar days to resolve a complete file — then, once approved and in the country, complete any remaining steps such as registering for your ID card (DIMEX).

Cost

As of 19 July 2026, the law sets a single government payment of US$100 (or the equivalent in colones) in favour of the Government, plus a one-off non-resident visa issuance fee whose amount is fixed by the Directorate's regulation on a cost-recovery basis. Budget also for practical extras that are not official fees: medical insurance, certified Spanish translations, and apostille or legalisation of foreign documents. Treat all of these as estimates that can change.

Processing time

As of 19 July 2026, official sources state the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería has a target of 15 calendar days to decide a complete application. If your file is incomplete, the office issues a written notice and gives you a window (reported as eight working days) to supply what is missing, which extends the overall timeline. Real-world processing can run longer than the statutory target, so apply well ahead of any planned move.

Tax implications (overview)

The standout benefit of this visa is a total exemption from Costa Rican income tax (impuesto sobre las utilidades) on your foreign-source earnings. Because the visa requires all your income to come from outside Costa Rica, holders effectively owe zero Costa Rican income tax on that money — the exemption is written into Law 10008, and it applies even though Costa Rica otherwise uses a 183-day tax-residency test for ordinary residents. Holders also receive a one-off exemption from import taxes on the basic personal computing and telecommunications equipment they need for their work. Note the exemption is limited to foreign-source income; it does not cover any Costa Rican-source earnings, and it does not remove any tax obligations you may still have in your home country.

Official source

Always confirm the current rules directly with the issuing authority:

Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (Costa Rica)  ↗

Link opens the official government page. We last checked our figures against it on 19 July 2026.